Cherry Pit
by Queen of Blue Hearts
Summary: Aoi is a boy who likes to dress like a girl, and Tsubasa is a girl who can usually be found in baggy shirts. It sounds stereotypical, but their relationship isn't the typical boy meets girl scenario. "Aoi-chan is so cute, I want to pin you against the wall." "DON'T SAY THINGS LIKE THAT SO CASUALLY!"
1. Chapter 1

**I love Aoi so much tbh, he's such a cute tsundere! I own nothing, other than Tsubasa!**

 **Our Meeting  
**

Aoi was many things; proud, stubborn, bashful, and somewhat incapable of stating his true feelings without blushing and sometimes lashing out and/or running away. You may also add crossdresser, and an internet idol to the list.

He was also an amazing artist, both in sketching out his ideas, and bringing them to life on fabric, which usually made him the butt of many of his classmate's jokes, but he could ignore them most days.

Like today. Aoi doodled something lazily in the corner of his notebook, dragging his pencil against the paper. The vague outline of a woman appeared, and then shape of her dress. The model didn't need to be filled in, after all she was just a sketched out frame for the dress. Like many of his dresses, this one was frilly, but tasteful, and the bodice had a corset-like style to it.

He paused to stare at the small sketch critically. Maybe he'd work on it when he got home.

At that moment, the teacher walked in, and the inane chatter of his classmates quietened. Aoi pursed his lips and twirled the pencil between his fingers as she took the register, muttering a quick _here_ when his name was called. Once that was done, their teacher pressed her palms together with a smile. "Class, today we have a new student joining us," she stated.

The room broke out in excited whispers, most revolving around the gender of the student, and what they would look like, _I hope it's a boy! I hope he's hot! If it's a girl, I hope she's super cute!_

Aoi rolled his eyes and focused on trying to figure out what colours he would use for the dress if he ever got round to making it. Navy, maybe. Peacock? No, _cornflower blue_ – the same shade as his eyes – with pink, no _white_ for the frills and lace. He was so into his thoughts that he barely noticed the new student when they entered.

Their arrival was met with stunned, and then confused silence. The figure standing in front of the room was tall, about 6 ft, and slender, with long black-brown hair that had been tied back at the base of their head, and dark brown eyes that scanned the room silently with hands jammed into the pockets of the black uniform trousers. At the teacher's prompting, they shrugged. "I'm Yamaguchi Tsubasa," the voice was calm, pitched low but still a bit higher than expected. "Pleased to meet you all."

"Yamaguchi, you can sit next to Hyoudou. Hyoudou, would you please raise your hand?" Aoi huffed and lifted his hand. Tsubasa's eyes fell on him, and he wasted no time sauntering – because there was no other way to describe the movement – over to the chair to his right and taking his seat.

In spite of himself, Aoi couldn't help sneaking a glance at the other. He had brown eyes, the colour of warm coffee or earthy cinnamon – and defined cheekbones. Something about the overall contouring of Tsubasa's face made him pause. For a moment, he could have sworn he was a she...

And then he found himself staring right into those brown eyes. "Yo," Tsubasa greeted casually, eyelids half lowered. Aoi watched the femininely soft-looking lips form around the vowel, and realised that he'd been staring at her out of narrowed eyes for too long without a reply.

"Hello," he replied. Tsubasa blinked slowly, and his eyes dipped down, and then traced back up again. Aoi felt a dull rush of blood to his cheeks, and frowned defensively. "What?"

Tsubasa blinked. "Hyoudou-kun, what's your first name?"

He was still feeling a bit defensive, but there was no reason to not respond. "...Aoi."

They didn't speak for the rest of the period, and Aoi was the first out of the class as soon as the bell rang for break. He knew from experience that his classmates would either come to taunt him about his 'hobby', or they'd leave him alone for the day. It was hit and miss, more hit than miss, but he could always hope.

It seemed that today was a _hit_ day. He'd barely taken a bite of his bento, before hands latched onto the back of his collar and shoved him to the ground. "Hey!" He stared at the remains of the upturned bento, and then tried to get up. One pair of hands went for his backpack, as taunts sailed over his head. He'd stopped paying attention to them a long time ago. Most of the words were the same thing said over, and over again: _crossdresser, freak, weirdo, your parents must hate you..._

It would be much easier to sit there and stay silent, and eventually they would stop. They'd get bored and go away, that was what he was always told: ignore the bullies. But he couldn't, he spat and leaped to grab his bag, only to be shoved back to the dirt. "Give that back!" He yelled at the boy rifling through his bag.

The boy, a cocky, overconfident English-Japanese child with blonde hair, smirked back at him and scoffed. "Or what?" He retorted. "Are you afraid I'm gonna find all your stupid little sketches, you little freak?"

That was exactly what Aoi was afraid of. Normally he was quite good at remembering to stash his drawing in his locker, and away from prying eyes, but somehow today it had slipped his mind. Most likely because of that new student.

Speaking of that...

"Oi." They turned at the sound of the voice. The new student, Tsubasa, was standing a little way away. His eyes took in Aoi on the floor, the grins that were slowly turning to wary frowns, and the boy going through the bag that clearly wasn't his. The corner of his lips twitched. "I don't need to ask what's going on, do I?"

The blonde scoffed and glared at him. "This has nothing to do with you, newbie," he snapped. "And if you want to have a good time here, I suggest you don't associate with freaks like _him_." Aoi snarled in response, but his heart beat faster. Tsubasa was new, he wouldn't blame him if he decided to walk away and pretend never to have seen this.

Instead, he walked closer, one hand still in the pocket of his trousers. Aoi noticed that the nails of the visible hand were painted a cute pastel blue. "Nah, I don't see a freak," he commented airily, as though they were having a perfectly civil conversation. "I see a bunch of assholes with identity issues taking out their anger on someone else. So I'll give you all ten seconds to drop the bag, and back away from him, before you all get hurt."

There was silence for two seconds, and then laughter. "You can't be serious."

He smiled and shrugged his shoulders casually. "We're down to six. Five..." he started walking closer. "Four..."

One of the boys made a grab for him, and Tsubasa caught his wrist in his free hand and shoved sharply, sending him sprawling.

"Three..." he punched another boy in the nose, and kicked the legs out from another. "Two..." he kept walking, until he was only a foot from the blonde. "One," he arched an eyebrow. "Well?"

The boy made a choked out gasp, and Aoi gaped as he dropped the bag and ran. He quickly grabbed it, ignoring the dust covering the bottom and sides in favour of rummaging for his sketchbook. Thank goodness, all his papers were still intact.

"Are you okay?" He blinked and realised that he was looking down at him worriedly. "Here," she held out her hand, palm up, almost as though she was asking him to dance. A part of him, the part that was primarily ruled by pride, wanted to huff and stalk away. However, another part of him wanted to blush at being treated so courteously.

This part won out, probably due to some minor form of brain damage caused when he fell, and Aoi internally cursed as he felt heat bloom in his cheeks. He ducked his head, but took her hand anyway. "I'm fine," he muttered.

He helped him to his feet carefully, and grinned. "Really? That's good. I'm glad I was here to help you."

Tsubaki smiled, and Aoi realized that he had yet to let go of his hand. He quickly snatched it back with a scowl, and fumbled with his bag. Once it was relatively dust-free and he no longer felt so red, he turned to Tsubaki.

He was examining his bruised knuckles, and then his nails, flexing his fingers experimentally. "What was that?"

He blinked down at him curiously. "What was what?"

"That!" He waved his hands wildly to indicate what had just happened. "Why did you fight them? They'll just get worse anyway!"

"Well I couldn't just walk away," he looked confused. "They were picking on you, and three on one tiny kid doesn't look very fair."

He scowled angrily at the jibe. "I'm not a kid!" There was nothing he could say about the height though, so he huffed and folded his arms across his chest. "Don't do this again. I'm sure a guy like you has other things to be doing during break than saving _crossdressing freaks_ like me."

Tsubasa's eyes widened in surprise. "Crossdressing? Is that why they were bullying you? Wait, _guy?_ "

The bell rang, and Aoi had already run away. The rest of the day passed by in an angry haze, he was hungry, and tired, and guilt niggled at the back of his mind. Tsubasa _technically_ hadn't done anything wrong, Aoi knew that objectively. Aoi also knew that he was just being proud, and unnecessarily defensive, but there's a difference between knowing something, and actually acting on that knowledge. Tsubaki probably no longer wanted anything to do with him.

 _I didn't even say thank you,_ he sighed quietly as he left the school building later that day, and then he grimaced. _What am I thinking? So what if he hates me now? I've gotten along just fine without him!_

"Hyoudou-kun." He looked up in surprise. Tsubasa was leaning against the school gate, apparently waiting for him. He straightened and walked over. "Wanna go out with me?"

"...huh?"

Tsubasa arched an eyebrow. "You. Me. We can go to a cafe. I heard some girls talking about it in class. You didn't get to eat lunch, did you? You must be hungry."

 _What was this?! Who was this guy?! Was he making fun of him?_ Aoi glared up at him angrily. "I'm not-!" There was a low, miserable rumble, and Tsubasa's eyes dropped to his stomach. His face reddened in embarrassment. "I-"

"Come on, it'll be my treat." Aoi eyed the proffered hand warily, and then at him.

"I don't like guys," he stated bluntly. While it was true that he liked dressing up in cute, girly clothes and seducing men, Aoi actually had little interest in pursuing a relationship with one.

Tsubaki blinked in surprise, and then smiled. "Then it's a good thing I'm not a guy, isn't it?"

" _What?_ " Tsubaki had already started walking away, mimicking what he'd done earlier. Aoi found himself hurrying to keep up with her. "You're a _girl_?"

"Is that so hard to believe?" He– _she_ sounded amused. Aoi eyed her critically from head to toe. She was flat – from what he could see, it was difficult to see any curves under the school blazer and shirt she was wearing – and her long legs were clad in the loose black trousers. One of her hands was jammed in the pockets, the other dangled by her side in a seemingly casual manner, and the nails were both pastel blue.

The nails weren't actually any indication of her gender, he just really liked the shade.

Still, it was easy to see how she could be confused for a boy. Unlike Misaki, her features were somewhat androgynous, with high cheekbones, a defined chin, and full pink lips. She could easily have been mistaken for a pretty boy, or a handsome girl.

As it turned out, it was the latter. "Why are you in the boys' uniform then?"

She shrugged loosely. "I like the fit better," she replied. "Besides, the school didn't have a problem with it, and I _am_ adhering to the rules of how it should be worn."

Aoi couldn't help frowning. What a waste. She was a girl. Why wasn't she dressed more femininely, in cute skirts and dresses? Why could she afford to dress like a guy, but people laughed at him when he dressed as Aoi-chan? It wasn't fair! "Did you always do this?" He couldn't help asking, purposely making his tone as snide as possible. "I bet people made fun of you."

"Yes," she replied breezily and turned a corner, and Aoi blinked when he found himself standing in front of the familiar entrance to Maid Latte. He realised then that he hadn't been paying much attention to the direction they had been walking. "But trust me, I a very good at not caring. We're here!"

The bell jingled overhead. "Welcome home, master! Oh, Aoi-kun, is that you?" Aoi scowled from behind Tsubasa, who was looking around with a mix of awe and curiosity. "You brought a friend!" Erika beamed at them, and he hated the sheer happiness she was radiating. Okay, so he didn't have friends to bring to maid cafes, no need to rub it in.

Tsubasa smiled at him bemusedly as they were seated. "You've been here before?"

"My aunt owns this place," he muttered, glaring balefully at the cheery yellow and pink menu in front of him.

She made a sound of acknowledgement, and studied the menu. "Pick whatever you want," she grinned at him. "Like I said, it's my treat. You've been here before, right? What's the Moe Moe Omelette Rice like?"

Well that sounded all well and good, but why? "Why?" He narrowed his eyes at her when she looked puzzled. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because you hadn't gotten the chance to eat before those guys attacked you," Tsubaki replied, just as Erika returned to take their order. She caught the wink the woman directed at Aoi, and smiled at the angry blush that lit Aoi's face. The boy was so adorable. "And I want to be friends with you."

Aoi gaped at her. "F-Friends?" He repeated incredulously, and then he sniffed with an uncharacteristic lack of grace. "Don't be stupid. Didn't you _hear_ what those guys called me?"

She tilted her head to the side. "A crossdresser?" She asked. Aoi folded his arms across his chest and looked away. He was aware of when Erika returned with two plates of omelette rice. "I don't care. Holy _shit_ this is delicious!" Aoi snapped his head around to stare at her in surprise, while Tsubasa tucked in with unreserved delight.

"You...don't care." It was supposed to be a question, but it came out sounding like a disbelieving statement.

"I don't care," Tsubasa repeated just as indifferently as before, popping another mouthful of steaming rice into her mouth. "There's more to people than just the clothes they're wearing, and if someone's willing to judge your character based on fabric then they're just dumb. Besides," she smirked at him from across the table. "I bet you look cute in dresses anyway."

Aoi scowled. He was cute! He was adorable, he knew that! the thousands of people who visited his blog were proof enough! That still didn't stop the blush crawling up his cheeks, and he looked away. "Whatever."

Tsubasa smirked. "Take care of me, _Aoi-chan_ ~."


	2. Chapter 2

**I had exams so I couldn't update. I hope you like this chapter!**

 **Outline of Friendship**

Aoi didn't have 'friends'.

Yes, he had people he could talk to, and people he could tolerate being around, but he didn't have anyone he could rightly define as a 'friend'. Cross-dressing aside, Aoi knew he was prickly at best, like a porcupine, and no one liked getting close to someone who could freak out and attack if you said something wrong.

He'd thought about this all the way home from Maid Latte, all through the rest of the day, part of the night, and even the next morning, before arriving at a decision. Tsubasa was probably just interested in what he did. Just because she didn't mind his cross-dressing, that didn't mean she would stick around.

However, she was physically strong at the very least, and not as annoying as he'd expected, so the best thing for him to do would be to keep her around as a bodyguard until she either got tired of him, or until something else happened. It was a good plan, and he mentally congratulated himself on it as he made his way into the school.

"A-o-i-kun!" An arm slipped around his shoulders from behind. Aoi made a panicked squeak and jumped, before scowling when he realised who it was. "Good morning!" Tsubasa grinned, a pork bun in the hand of the arm not wrapped around him.

He jumped out of her hold immediately, backing away. "D-Don't touch me so casually!" He snapped, suddenly aware of the students still standing in the plaza. Several turned to catch the sudden source of the sudden commotion amidst the general morning chatter.

Aoi flushed and scowled up at the girl, who looked completely unperturbed. "I didn't think you'd be so jumpy," she commented, taking a bite of the bun and chewing thoughtfully. "I guess I should have expected it. Walk me to class?"

At the sight of the unfamiliar new student and Aoi, several people had already turned to watch. Aoi resisted the natural urge to hunch in on himself, and instead forced his shoulders and neck into an arrogant arch. "Can't you get there on your own?"

"Nope," Tsubasa replied chirpily, grinning. There were a few crumbs on the side of her face that she dusted away with the sleeve of her occupied hand. "I still don't know where everything is yet, and you're the only friend I've made so far!"

He sniffed, ignoring the weird little skip of his heart when she called him a friend. Aoi wasn't sure if that was a good thing. "You can always just make other friends," he said instead, but he had already started walking towards the school doors. She easily kept pace beside him.

Tusbasa hummed thoughtfully. "This is fine though," she replied through a bite. "Right?" Aoi didn't have an answer for her, so he resolutely looked away. He managed to ignore her throughout their first class together, which was Math, though he caught his eyes unconsciously straying towards her at odd intervals, which pissed him off. _It's probably because she doesn't look at all girly even though she's a girl._

Right! It irritated him how plain she looked! She was still wearing the boy's uniform for crying out loud! Her hair looked like she'd only dedicated the barest minimum of time and effort to it that morning, and was held back by a plain black and white X shaped hairclip. Her jewellery was equally as simple, and was the same as yesterday's: a black bracelet with a ying-yang charm on her left wrist, and silver studs in her ears.

Even when he wasn't dressed as Aoi-chan, he at least _tried_ to add a little extra something to his uniform so that he stood out amongst the boring plebs at his school. Aoi looked at the other girls in his class, noting their own jewellery and uniform alterations, before turning back to Tsubasa to compare, only to find her staring back at him.

He flinched minutely in surprise, and watched her smile at him through the mechanical pencil between her lips. _She's so weird,_ he looked away with a huff, without returning the smile. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he could see her laughing quietly to herself. _So weird..._

Once the bell for break rang, Aoi immediately rose. The events of the previous day were still fresh in his mind, and he wondered if Tsubasa planned to do the same thing again. It had been pure luck that no one had been punished yesterday, and he didn't _want_ her to get in trouble. It wasn't that he cared about her or anything like that! No way! It was just...basic decency that's all!

Just as he finished packing the last of his things, Tsubasa appeared in front of him. He hated how tall she was. Weren't girls supposed to be short and cute? "Want to eat with me?" She asked. "Or do you already have plans?"

He wondered whether or not to feel pleased that she thought that he had other plans after yesterday. "God you're so clingy!" He said instead, zipping up his bag with more force than strictly necessarily. The class was empty by now, so he felt more at ease raising his voice. "Why don't you want to go sit with other people?" He snapped at her. "You do know that you're less likely to get picked on if you stay away from me, don't you?"

She just blinked and tilted her head to the side. "So...is that a yes or...?"

"Be serious!"

"Okay, okay!" She grinned and shrugged. "I like you, and I want us to be friends. Isn't that reason enough? Besides, I think you're cute!"

Aoi reared back at her blunt admission, and floundered for words. He could feel how red his face had become and, for a moment, he didn't know what to do. No one had ever called him cute while he was Aoi-kun. At least not without meeting Aoi-chan first. "W-What does that even mean?!"

"Just what I said," she smirked. "So, lunch? Because I'm hungry and I have been saving this pork bun for hours!"

"You brought a pork bun for lunch?" He arched an eyebrow, shifting to the new topic and forcing the bright colour in his cheeks to lessen. "That's not healthy! You'll make yourself fat!"

She pouted. Actually pouted! "But...pork buns..." He glared at her harder, and she shrugged and followed him out of the classroom and outside. There were other students present, either talking or eating. A few glanced in their direction, but most turned away or ignored them. "What did you bring?" Tsubasa asked, leading him to an empty bench in the shade of the school building.

Aoi froze for a moment as, staring into his bag at the pink and blue container that contained the lunch he'd made for himself that morning. It was the one cute thing he allowed himself to take to school since he ate alone most days, and no one would really see it. Now though...

"Oh, is that your lunchbox? It's so cute!" Tsubasa leaned over to catch a better glimpse of it. He eyed her warily as he slowly pulled it out of his bag, waiting for her to turn around say something rude about it, or ask why he even had one. "Where did you get it?"

"...online..." he replied, and she nodded and pulled out a paper-wrapped bun from her own bag. He eyed it with distaste, pointedly unclipping the lid of his _own_ lunchbox and picking out a small egg roll.

They ate in silence, Tsubasa preoccupied with making her favourite snack last as long as possible, and Aoi on the upcoming weekend. The mention of the word _online_ had reminded him that he needed to put up some new pictures on his website. He'd just finished re-tailoring one of his aunt's dresses earlier that week, and it would make for a great photoset.

"What are your plans for the weekend?" Tsubasa asked him, lifting him front his thoughts. He tensed, before realising that Tsubasa was new. She didn't know about him being Aoi-chan, she just knew that he was a boy who liked cute things and cross-dressing. "I don't think I have any plans. Want to do something together?"

"God you're clingy!" He repeated, nerves making him more snappish than usual. "And no, I'm going to be busy!"

"Huh," was all she said in reply, and Aoi felt his chest clench uncomfortably in his chest. Ugh, did he _really_ feel _guilty_ about how he reacted? She didn't even look upset, so he had no reason to feel bad. It wasn't like he'd hurt her feelings, right?

He glanced up at her from the corner of his eye. Tsubasa's expression hadn't changed, but the uncomfortable clench hadn't gone away. Aoi frowned down at his lunch, rolling a sliced cherry tomato around the bottom of his lunchbox with his chopsticks.

"Open your mouth."

Tsubasa glanced down at him in confusion. "Hmm? Why-!" Her eyes widened as something was popped into her mouth. She chewed slowly, tasting the sweet tartness of the fruit.

Aoi hurriedly shut began to pack up his things, keeping his face turned away from her. "At least eat something healthy for now," he sniffed. When she didn't say anything in return, Aoi turned to see why. Was she...blushing? "Oi, why are you looking at me like that?"

Tsubasa laughed and threw an arm around his shoulder. "You're so cute!"

"Don't touch me so casually you idiot!"


	3. Chapter 3

**I love Aoi, and I love Tsubasa she's been a long time coming tbh.**

 **To Meet an Idol**

Aoi woke up early on Saturday, as he usually did when he had _plans_. Waking up early meant he could leave the house quickly without anyone seeing him, especially his dad.

Aoi knew his father knew about his 'habit', and he didn't condone it, but at the same time he didn't like to bring it up so as long as Aoi didn't mention it in his presence – sketches, clothes and wig included – then neither would he. It was by no means a perfect solution, but it was better than having his beloved outfits confiscated or being thrown out of the house again.

The sun was shining brightly, and the weather forecast had declared that the sunshine would last all day, one of the perks of the early summer season. He had called his lackeys on his way home from school after parting from Tsubasa, and instructed them to meet him at the park. Aoi checked his phone as he climbed out of his bed and walked to his wardrobe.

Since it was so bright today, he figured his outfit of the day should reflect the warm summer weather. Maybe something bright, but not necessarily pastel-coloured, he hummed thoughtfully as he sorted through the clothes he'd hidden at the back of his closet. He always looked good in pink, so that was a given. Yellow was too obvious and overdone though.

 _Blue? Or green?_ He held up both dresses to his chest in the mirror, and then frowned at how off the colouring seemed. _Better!_ He pulled on his wig and repeated the exercise. The blue matched his eyes, but green was a fresh colour and very summer-like, right? Oh, but the blue exposed his shoulders and looked more carefree, but then the green was so charmingly innocent...

He frowned at his reflection, and then tried to imagine which would appeal more to his fanbase. His fanbase, which he knew was made up of weird older men, but also of girls who admired his fashion sense. Aoi closed his eyes and tried to think, but all that popped into his head was Tsubasa smiling at him and commenting, _I think you're really cute._

The memory jarred him, and he let out an involuntary squeak. What kind of memory was that!? He shook his head quickly, and shoved both dresses into his bag. _She's just a weirdo, a weirdo without a filter!_ He grumbled to himself as he applied his usual light make-up, and shoved the rest in his bag as well. _She just says whatever she likes!_ He slid on a skirt and blouse, something cute enough to suit him, but not overly conspicuous. It wouldn't do if people started following him while he was trying to take pictures.

He escaped the house with little fuss, and made his way to the park, pointedly ignoring anyone who tried to flirt with him. Most men were so easy, he'd discovered. As soon a cute girl showed even the vaguest interest in them, they were little more than putty. It was gross. Gross, but funny, and he couldn't lie and say that the power wasn't a little bit heady.

There were some guys who preferred other types of girls though, like the mature type, or the bookish type. Then there were some guys who were just too loyal and attracted to only one particular girl. Aoi felt a frisson of mild embarrassment slide through him at the memory, and he grimaced. As annoying as it was, he couldn't really berate Usui for falling for Misaki. After all he'd done the exact same thing.

He could, however, fault Misaki though for being a ridiculously shy tsundere that never spoke her mind. Shyness was alright but there had to be a limit.

Come to think of it, Tsubasa was very much like Misaki wasn't she? Both were flat, physically strong, tall (although Tsubasa was much taller, which was _infuriating_ ), and dressed like they bought most of their clothes at the local supermarket. _Well_ , he amended, _Misaki does_. He hadn't seen Tsubasa outside of her uniform and gym clothes so he really didn't know.

Tsubasa's hair was wilder too, and she always had it tied back. She wore jewellery too, even if it was just as plain as the rest of her. He wondered if she was as good at sports as Misaki or-

 _Wait, why am I thinking about Tsubasa?!_ He shook his head rapidly, and pressed his hands to his face. God why was his face suddenly so _warm_? It definitely wasn't because of Tsubasa! It was probably because he was thinking of Misaki! Yeah, that was it! He barely knew Tsubasa anyway!

"Aoi-chan! Good morning!" He blinked, snapping out of his thoughts, and realised that he was already at the park. The lackeys were there, and maybe one day he would learn their names but that didn't seem likely. For now they were the Idiot Trio, the Mouse, and Glasses. Those were easier to remember.

"Have you set up the camera?" He snapped as he marched over, hands on his hips. For some reason the Trio were holding a basket of cherry petals. "What are those for?"

The first one, with blonde hair, grinned widely. "Cherry petals are a symbol of new beginnings and innocence! They're soft, refined, with a hint of romance! It would be perfect for-!"

"Are you stupid? It's early summer, not spring, we're not using those," he stalked past them, ignoring their stricken looks. Honestly, he didn't call them so that they could offer their opinions. At least Mouse and Glasses did their jobs well, and with little backchat. At least the Trio was entertaining.

Since he'd grabbed both dresses, Aoi decided it would be a waste not to use both. Besides, he looked adorable in both. The first round of pictures in the green dress went by without incident, and he even allowed the dumb trio to sprinkle the cherry petals around during the last few pictures. He only did it because they're whining was getting annoying.

After changing into the blue dress, he returned to see Mouse and Glasses fretting over the camera. "Aoi-chan, it looks like it's out of memory," Mouse explained. "We might have to stop for the day or go buy a new card."

"We're definitely not stopping!" He snapped. The next few days would be rainy, and they hadn't taken nearly enough pictures for one photoshoot. If they stopped, he'd have to wait for the next sunny, dry day, and by then he'd be behind! "I guess we'll need to buy a new card..."

"I'll go Aoi-sama!" "No, I'll go!" "No, let me!"

"I don't care which one of you goes, just make sure you get it and you're back in at least an hour!" He yelled, and then sighed once they'd dashed away, tripping over themselves in their haste. "You two, see what you can do with the camera. I'm going to get a drink."

 _Ugh, this is annoying,_ Aoi thought to himself as he walked towards a vending machine located just around the corner. He fished out a coin and eyed the selections thoughtfully. _I hope those idiots actually find the right memory stick._ He tapped in the code, and watched a bottle of green tea fall from the middle shelf to the bottom.

"Oh, hey you're really cute!" Aoi turned and stared at the two guys that were standing behind him. "Are you alone? Why don't you come spend time with us? I promise, we're gentlemen!"

 _Gross._ "Oh, I'd like to, but I'm afraid I'm very busy today," he widened his eyes innocently, acting apologetic.

"Aw, why don't you ditch whatever you're doing?" One stepped forward, and he swallowed his grimace. "I'm sure we're miles more interesting than your work." _Gross._

"Sorry, but I'm not interested," he tried to walk away, only for one to grab his wrist. "Hey-!"

"Don't be such a spoilsport! We're just having fu-!"

"Oi, didn't you hear her?" The men turned, and Aoi stared at his so-called saviour in shock. Tsubasa glared down at them. "She's not interested, so get your disgusting hands off her. God knows what you spend your time touching anyway."

The men scowled at her, still "Get lost beanpole! This has nothing to do with you!"

"Oh? But it could have everything to do with the policeman that's just around that corner," she grinned coldly, seeing their faces pale. "If I were to scream for help, and he came running, who do you think he'd believe? You scumbags, or the two helpless girls you're groping?" She took a step forward, more threatening this time. "So I'll tell you again: get your disgusting hands off that girl."

They snarled at her for a moment, but released Aoi adn fled in the opposite direction. Aoi gaped after them, and then at her.

"Ah~, I hate men like that," she sighed, running a hand through her hair. Hair that was, for the first time, left down. She was still wearing her X clip and silver studs, but she was now dressed in a cropped white shirt and a pair of olive green Capri shorts. There was a popsicle stick in her right hand. "Are you alright?"

 _Why does she always have to be around at times like this?!_ Oh, right, he was still Aoi-chan the famous net idol, not Aoi-kun her weird classmate. "I'm fine," he put on a charming smile. "Thank you for saving me."

"No problem," she grinned back, no trace of the cold blackmailer from earlier. "Cute girls like you shouldn't have to deal with men like that." Aoi felt his heart skip a beat when she called him cute, and he was honestly going to pound his heart into submission if it kept up this shoujo heroine schtick. "Are you going to be okay from here?"

"Yeah I'll be fine, I have friends waiting for me in the park," he replied, wanting to get out of the situation as quickly as possible. The less time they were together, the less time she'd have to look at his face and draw conclusions.

Tsubasa tilted her head to the side, staring at the girl curiously. "Hey, you look really familiar...you kinda remind me of my friend from school!" Aoi froze in shock. _Too late!_ "I know a lot of girls don't like being compared to boys, but he's really pretty. I think he might be the prettiest boy I've ever met."

Aou could feel his face growing redder and redder with each word. "Th-That's not something you should be saying to someone you just met!"

She laughed. "Sorry, sorry, I let my mouth get the best of me! I just think you're really pretty!" She turned to leave, waving over her shoulder in a jaunty manner. "Bye! Stay safe!"

Aoi watched her leave, and then heaved out a relieved breath. _She's so weird..._

* * *

"Aoi-kun, Aoi-kun! I met the prettiest girl over the weekend! She had blonde hair and blue eyes and she was dressed in the most adorable dress ever! Ahhhhh I feel like she was the highlight of my weekend she was soooooo cute! So...what did you do over the weekend?"


	4. Chapter 4

**I still don't own anything except Tsubasa.**

 **Dressed Different**

"Aaaaahhhh, but she was so cute..." Aoi groaned quietly. Ever since Tsubasa had met Aoi-chan the day before, most of her sentences and thoughts now seemed to revolve around his cute alter ego, and it was annoying. "I wonder if she's takes pictures every Saturday or if that was a one-time thing. Ah~, I wish I'd remembered to ask for her name..."

 _So annoying._ He felt something ugly curl in his stomach and he scowled. He'd never thought it was possible to be jealous of yourself, but there you go.

"Ugh, stop talking about her so much!" He pointed his pen at her threateningly, and she just smiled back. "She probably wouldn't have told you her name anyway. You probably looked like a scary guy."

Tsubasa blinked. "A scary...guy?" She repeated, glancing down at her more or less flat chest hidden behind layers of the male school uniform. She fiddled with her hair thoughtfully. "Eh? Am I really that masculine-looking?"

"A few of our classmates still aren't sure of your gender," he confirmed with a nod, returning his attention to his book. Self-study was supposed to be a time of quiet reflection and learning, but the teacher was usually knocked out at his desk and everyone did whatever they wanted as long as they didn't wake him up. "Maybe you should try dressing a little more like a girl."

She tilted her head thoughtfully, still playing with the strands. "Like a girl...? You want me to wear a skirt and make-up?"

Aoi fought the urge to smile at her bemused expression, and masked it with a pointed frown. "The make-up sounds too complex for you, so just start with a skirt. You should try wearing the girls' school uniform to school tomorrow for a change."

She made a quiet sound of understanding, and dropped the hand in her hair to the table. "So that's the kind of girl you like? Girly ones?"

For some reason he felt his face flush lightly. "It has nothing to do with what I like and don't like," he replied haughtily. "Girl's should dress cutely, that's all there is to it!"

"Hmm, for a guy who wears dresses, you sure have a lot of opinions on what should and shouldn't be huh?" He rounded on her with a scowl, and she laughed and held up her hands in surrender. "Sorry, sorry! Just for you, okay?" She grinned and picked up her own pen. "Just for you, I'll wear the female uniform. As a special treat, I'll even let my hair loose, okay?"

Aoi huffed and nodded, relaxing back into his seat. He couldn't help but wonder what Tsubasa in a skirt would look like. She was tall and slender, and she probably had good legs. She wasn't cute, but her androgynous features gave her face a disarmingly charming appearance that wasn't all that hideous.

Okay fine, so she was good-looking! He'd actually overheard some girls talking about her, although he wasn't sure if they knew she was actually a girl. He ruminated over this in the safety of his own mind.

For girls, Tsubasa existed on that safe middle ground: she was tall and androgynous enough to resemble a boy, but she wasn't. She was charming and good-natured, and easy-going enough to put people at ease. With a little bit of effort, she could actually end up being really popular, and yet she chose to hang out with him instead. It was weird.

"Aoi-kun!" She called to him, and he turned to see her holding out a piece of chocolate. "I was going to eat it after lunch, but I got hungry now..."

"You eat the most unhealthy things," he frowned. "Chocolate isn't good for you, it'll make you break out in spots."

She puffed out her cheeks briefly. "I don't think there's any proof of that. Besides, you already have such smooth skin. Chocolate isn't going to change that! Come on~!" She waved the chocolate in his face temptingly, until he sighed and gave in, and plucked the slightly melted piece from between her fingers.

Tsubasa watched him with a smile as she licked the chocolate stains off fingers, and Aoi felt his cheeks redden. "You're so annoying. What are you looking at?"

"Nothing, I was just thinking that right now, we both taste like chocolate."

" _Don't say something like that so casually!_ "

* * *

oOo

* * *

The next day, Aoi had almost forgotten what he'd asked Tsubasa to do, although he remembered the second he heard her voice. "Good morning Aoi-kun!"

"Good morni-!" Tsubasa walked over to him cheerfully, her skirt swishing at thighs clad in black tights. The skirt emphasized her thin waist, while the shirt made her look slender and willowy. She had let her hair hang down to just below her shoulders, still pinned out of her face with her clip.

In spite of these changes, she still looked exactly the same. She still looked like the Tsubasa he'd always known, but in a skirt. There was no drastic change in her appearance, but what had he honestly expected, that donning some new clothes would turn her into a beauty queen? _Well, maybe with a little bit of make-up..._

"So, how do I look?" She spun around as she walked over to him, batting her lashes exaggeratedly. "Am I cute yet?"

"Gross," he recoiled back in shock at the out of character move. "Don't ever do that again!"

Tsubasa laughed. "Aw, but you're the one who asked me to wear this!" She replied, looking down at herself. "My mom was so happy when I told her I wanted to wear it, but I warned this was a one-time deal. Skirts are comfortable, but they're a hassle to move around in."

He arched an eyebrow. "'Move around in?'"

"I mean, I can't run in them without having them stick to my thighs, I can't lift my legs above a certain height etc.," she shrugged. "A hassle."

"You shouldn't be lifting your legs so high anyway! What would you even do that for?"

"Kicking."

"Girls shouldn't be violent!"

"Opinions, opinions..."

" _Don't patronise me!_ " He batted at the hand that she'd used to pat his hair with a disgruntled scowl. "At any rate, at least you look more like a girl now." She mumbled something under her breath that he didn't quite catch, so he brushed it off. "It's time for class. There are only so many times you can be late, even if you are new."

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Stop eating such unhealthy foods!" Aoi scolded as he watched her take large, happy bites of her yakisoba bread. "You're going to get fat."

"Being fat isn't the worst thing that can happen to a person," she said between bites of bread and fried noodles. "Besides, it tastes good! Not all of us have time to make cute lunches for ourselves in the morning."

He frowned and took a bite of his grilled octopus sausages. "Then at least _try_ to buy something healthy instead. You look so unrefined." There was a dollop of sauce at the corner of her mouth, and he sighed a longsuffering sigh. "Come here."

"Hmm?" Tsubasa leaned closer curiously, and her eyes widened when he produced a clean tissue and wiped away the smear of sauce. "Oh, thanks!"

Aoi looked away, stiffly scrunching up the tissue in his hand. "Eat properly," he got to his feet just as stiffly. "I'm going to throw this away."

"Aw, you do care!"

"Shut up!" He marched over to the trash bins a few yards away, pushed against the walls. He tossed the tissue into it, and then he wanted to toss himself inside as well, or Tsubasa. What was he doing? Cleaning her face like that, what was he, her girlfriend?! He was acting like a high school girl with a crush!

 _Well, you're not one of those things._ He wasn't a girl, yeah, but he _definitely_ did not have a crush on Tsubasa. Any weird feelings were probably because she resembled Misaki and he was probably just transferring any residual feelings he'd had for the waitress onto his classmate. He did _not_ like Tsubasa. _I don't like Tsubasa. I don-!_

When he turned to go back, he found that there were three girls standing in front of Tsubasa, and one guy standing out of the way with his arms folded. None of them were in their class, and he didn't even think the boy was in their year. Aoi frowned and walked back, wondering what they were talking about.

"...wear the boy's uniform anymore?" One of the girls asked.

"Oh, yeah I'm still going to wear it. This is just for a friend. He wanted to see what I looked like in the female uniform."

"You look nice! The skirt makes your legs look great!"

"Tsubasa-kun, you're so tall!" One girl gushed. "How tall are you?"

"I think I'm about 5'10," she replied with a pleased smile. "I hope I don't get any taller though."

"Are you afraid of not being able to get a boyfriend if you get too tall?"

"No, not really...ah, Aoi-kun!" She'd spotted him, and so had everyone else apparently. Aoi lifted his chin and walked over to her, ignoring the not exactly totally friendly stares. As soon as he sat down, the small group took their leave with cheery goodbyes directed at Tsubasa. "They came over to talk to me. They're not in our class are they? One of them told me they thought I was a boy!"

The ugly curl of something was back, and he looked away. "Is that so?"

"Mmhmm," she replied, apparently not noticing his feelings. "They were nice though, but they're not friends of yours are they? Because you like dressing in female clothes?" He turned back to her with wide eyes, and she nodded as though confirming something. "Then they're not my friends either."

"Oi, you shouldn't just-!" There was a loud scoff, and they both looked up in surprise. Apparently the guy hadn't left, and he was glaring at them. Aoi arched an eyebrow. "Can we help you?"

Another scoff. "Well aren't you both perfect for each other. So you made her wear a skirt, big deal, it still doesn't change the fact that you're an weird boyish looking girl that's too tall to get a boyfriend, and you're a cross-dressing weirdo. You can both be freaks together."

Tsubasa stared up at him silently, and then made a low sound of realisation. "Ah...you're stupid."

"What did you just say?!"

"That you're stupid," she got to her feet, showing that she was taller than the guy by at least three inches. "How we choose to dress is none of your business. I thought only old people close to death with nothing to do gossiped like this, but apparently it's a thing for stupid, boring guys with nothing else going for them," she lifted her head and glared down her nose at him. "You could be close to death though. Get lost."

He snarled at her for a few seconds, but eventually retreated. She turned her back on him and stretched, beaming widely. "Hey, can we go back to that cute cafe we went to before? I want to try more of the desserts!"

Aoi gaped up at her, and nodded silently. He was never telling anyone how that sudden act of aggressive protection made his heart beat just that little bit faster.

 _It's because she looks like Misaki. I don't like her!_


	5. Chapter 5

**According to anime, anything over 5'7 is tall for a girl in Japan, so Tsubasa's 5'10 is very above average (I just finished re-watching Lovely Complex and I always thought homegirl was some giant like 6ft or something but nah she's just 5'8 what even two of my best friends are 5'9 and 5'11 this is exciting). I own nothing.**

 **Sweet Like Sugar**

Aoi normally didn't like taking people anywhere near the cafe, and _especially_ when those people were his classmates. He liked coming to the cafe dressed as Aoi- _chan_.It made him feel good, made him feel...powerful, in a way, to have the attention of so many people. As Aoi-kun, he was a freak, a strange kid with a weird hobby.

Tsubasa didn't seem to mind though. She was...ridiculously easy-going, stupidly blunt, and seemed to have an endless supply of patience and calm in the face of his outbursts and insults. It threw him for a bit of a loop, and he didn't appreciate that.

"Why are you buying ice cream?" He asked her, folding his arms across his chest as she purchased what looked like a blue ice lolly with two popsicle sticks. "We're going to the cafe. You're just going to make yourself fat."

"Am not!" She grinned widely, and broke the popsicles cleanly in half. Aoi rolled his eyes as she took a large bite of one half, and squealed at the shock of the cold. He then blinked in surprise when she held the other half out to him. "Want one?"

He sniffed and folded his arms across his chest. "No thanks. Unlike you, I _care_ about what I put in my body," he waved a hand in the direction of the frozen stick, even as she waved it tantalisingly. "Besides, it's just frozen sugar and water."

Tsubasa pouted, and he noticed that the paint on her fingernails had begun to chip away. "Aw, but it matches your eyes!"

"It does not!" He retorted. His eyes were clearly dark blue, while the ice was much lighter in colour. She kept waving the popsicle in his face, and it was beginning to melt just a little and drip down the body. "Ugh, fine!" He snatched the stick out of her hand, and took a much more modest lick. Aoi ignored the pleased smile on her face, but couldn't ignore the weird churning he was getting in his stomach.

They finished the treat just before they got to the cafe. The bell atop the doorframe chimed softly, and one of the waitresses/maids – Honoka, the one with strawberry blonde hair that seemed to have a weird dual personality – hurried to the front. "Welcome back, Aoi and...Mistress?"

Aoi wanted to snicker at Honoka's bemusement, but settled for a subtle roll of his eyes. They were sat, and Tsubasa wasted no time in going through the menu. Honoka disappeared through the curtain that separated the main part of the café from the back, and a moment later his aunt came bounding out.

"Aoi, hello!" His aunt came bustling out, smiling widely. "I wasn't expecting you today! Oh, and you brought your friend!" Her smile faded to a perplexed frown as she peered at Tsubasa a few seconds longer. "Hey...weren't you in the male school uniform last time?"

"Aoi-kun asked me to wear the female uniform today," she replied with an easy smile.

"At least you actually look like a girl today," he sniffed and folded his arms, resting them on the tabletop.

Tsubasa leaned forward and patted his head soothingly, although it looked more like she was stroking his hair. "Yes, Aoi-kun," she cooed, and then snickered when he smacked her hand away with a scowl and a pale blush. Hyoudou Satsuki took in the sight curiously. Aoi didn't bring friends to the café. He must really like this girl.

This girl...who was tall...masculine-looking...and had dark hair and eyes...huh, now wasn't that familiar.

Satsuki covered her mouth to hide her grin. "Well, I'm happy to welcome you properly to _Maid Latte_..."

"Tsubasa," the girl replied with a smile. "Yamaguchi Tsubasa. It's nice to meet you, Hyoudou-san!"

 _Okay, maybe not_ _ **that**_ _familiar._ "It's nice to meet you to, Tsubasa-kun!" The little title slipped out before she could rectify it. "I'll send one of our maids out to take your orders!" With that, she darted back behind the curtains and went to find the maid Tsubasa had put her in the mind of.

The girl in question cocked her head at Aoi. "Your aunt seems nice."

Aoi snorted and brushed a strand of dark blue hair out of his eyes. Tsubasa watched the play of afternoon light on the locks. "She's annoying. She never lets me try on the uniforms, even though I would obviously pull in so many customers." He wanted to bite his tongue after that little speech, but Tsubasa just hummed.

"Aw, that's not a nice thing to say about your aunt," she replied.

The boy eyed her for a moment, and then looked away. "I...guess she's okay sometimes...She lets me have her old clothes so I can redesign them."

Tsubasa ooh-ed appreciatively, and leaned closer. "You sew the dresses you wear? That's so cool! I can't do anything domestic really, except cook, but I'm a really mediocre cook. I mean, I won't burn anything, but it's not exactly restaurant material." She rubbed the back of her neck and laughed, and Aoi hated the weird flip in his stomach.

"For what it's worth though..." He glanced back at her, and she seemed to have recovered from her awkwardness. Tsubasa grinned at him. "I think you'd make a cute maid. You have the legs for it."

" _Wha-!?_ "

"Aoi-kun!" The boy stiffened at the familiar voice, cutting off his mortified exclamation. Misaki stood beside their table, smiling at him cheerily. "Tenchou-san said you'd brought a friend." He took back every nice thing he'd briefly thought about his aunt, because _obviously_ this was herdoing.

Huh, hadn't seen her in a while. He wondered if she was still in denial about her feelings for Usui.

"Hi, I'm Tsubasa!" Tsubasa got to her feet and held out her hand to Misaki. "It's nice to meet you!"

Aoi blinked several times in surprise at the difference in height. He knew he was short, barely 5'1, and Misaki had about four inches on him, but Tsubasa towered over the two of them. He wondered if she was as tall as Usui, and then wondered why that made his stomach do that weird flippy thing again and whether or not he needed to get that checked.

Misaki tilted her head back to look up at her. "I'm Misaki, it's nice to meet you too. May I take your order?"

Aoi watched as Tsubasa proceeded to order the most sugary drink on the menu, which was cold, and looked like a rainbow had been frozen, crushed, shoved into the glass, and then topped with whipped cream and sprinkles. He had arched an eyebrow at her in disgust, before ordering a simple green tea latte, which arrived with a little heart drawn in it.

He watched Tsubasa over the rim of his cup as she took a sip of her drink, and moaned quietly in pleasure. "Aoi-kun, you _need_ to try this!"

"I already satisfied my daily sugar intake with that ice cream you made me have earlier," he replied.

"But it's _so good_!" She took a longer, more enthusiastic sip, and got whipped cream on the tip of her nose. "Whoops!" Tsubasa went cross-eyed trying to spot the errant spot, and Aoi sighed with what could have been fondness, but he chose to identify as resignation.

"Here." Tsubasa uncrossed her eyes to focus on the pretty yellow handkerchief in his hand. He held it out to her with a bored expression on his face, though the expression was made less effective by the blush on his cheeks and the way he resolutely refused to look at her. "Use this. I don't want to be seen with you if you can't even look after yourself."

Tsubasa giggled and accepted the handkerchief. "Aw, but I like being around you." She wiped off the cream, missing the way he bit his bottom lip. Aoi shook his head to dislodge the weird thoughts, and held his hand out for the cloth again.


	6. Chapter 6

**I love Tsubasa a lot, she's so much fun.**

 **Do You Swing My Way?**

"Do you dress like that because you like girls?"

Tsubasa blinked and leaned over to look at the magazine Aoi was holding. It was one of those trashy, vapid ones, with bubbly, brightly coloured covers to distract from the fact that there was absolutely nothing of value on the inside. Except the fashion and make-up tips, Aoi informed her. Those were pretty good apparently.

She scanned the page he was on. The title words _Top 10 Signs Your Friend Might Be a Into Girls!_ were printed at the top in scandalously cursive script, and there was a picture of a girl watching another girl from afar. "Is that what it says?" The words, _dresses like a tomboy_ was number 4. She scoffed. "That's pretty dumb. I dress like this because it's comfortable, and boys can't look up my skirt while I'm climbing up the stairs."

Aoi's brows furrowed with curiousity. "So you don't like girls then?" The question had been on his mind since he'd met Tsubasa as Aoi-chan, and considering Tsubasa's near-masculine dress-sense, he thought it'd make sense. He'd actually researched it a little, and found an almost 50/50 split in opinion, and so the best thing to do would be to just ask the female in question.

"Nah, I do," Tsubasa replied with a shrug. Aoi choked on air, clearly not expecting that incredibly blunt response to what should have been a fairly sensitive question. "Girls are pretty and they always smell nice. A lot of boys dress like they played Russian roulette with the clothes on the floor of their bedroom."

"No, please, tell us what you really think," he recovered and sat back up. He was slightly shaken, but also more interested than anything else.

Tsubasa laughed. "You dress really nicely though," she complimented. "It's good when people actually make an effort not to look like slobs, you know? I mean it's true you shouldn't judge people based on their appearances, but I can appreciate some effort. You always look great."

Aoi felt himself flush at the admiring comments, so he quickly averted his eyes back to the magazine, but his mind was no longer on the words – they were essentially useless since Tsubasa had been so forthcoming. The longer he stared at the printed letters the more they seemed to swirl and blur until he was forced to flip to a new page in an effort to get himself under control.

Neither of them said anything for a while, and then Tsubasa spoke quietly, "are you freaked out by that?"

"What?" His mind was still rattled, so it took him an extra second to catch her meaning. "That you like girls? No…no it doesn't freak me out." Tsubasa hummed softly, and Aoi unconsciously leaned closer to her. "Why did you think it would."

"It bothers a lot of people, Aoi-chan. People get rude judgemental over things like that."

He scoffed and stuck up his nose. "I'm a boy who likes to design female clothes and wear them. I know what it's like when people get rude and judgemental. It would be pretty hypocritical of me to judge you, wouldn't it? People are always going to hate you for one reason or another anyway." Aoi wasn't sure where that little nugget of wisdom had come from, but Tsubasa grinned at him.

"I knew there was a reason I liked you so much!"

He looked away again, and sniffed. "Yeah, yeah. Don't think I'll ever stop nagging you about your wardrobe choices."

"I'd be worried if you did," she smiled and turned her attention back to her lap; she had been fiddling carefully with something. "Aoi-chan, come here."

"What?" He asked, already shifting closer and peering into her hands. "I swear if you've picked up another insect I will kick you-!" The boy blinked as she brushed away a few strands of her from the side of his face, and slipped something into his hair to keep them back. "What did you put in my hair?" He reached up to feel for it, and ended up pulling it out.

"It's a hairclip." It was a cute red and yellow hairclip, to which a pink heart had been attached. "I saw it in a shop and I thought it'd look cute on you," Tsubasa replied. "You'll wear it, won't you?"

Aoi fingered the clip. It was a childish design, and likely not something he would have picked out for himself on first glance, but it was definitely in line with his tastes. He looked up at Tsubasa's warm expression, and he sighed loudly. " _Fine,_ " he swept a few strands of hair back and pinned them in place. "How does it look?"

In response, Tsubasa threw her arms around the much shorter boy, causing him to squawk loudly. Several heads turned in their direction curiously. "It looks _perfect_!"

"Get off me woman!" Aoi flailed, wholly unused to such ardent forms of physical affection, and then he found his face very close to Tsubasa's. The tips of their noses were mere centimetres apart, and this close her eyes were stupidly deep and brown; her lips were pink and stretched in a pleased smile. Aoi's cheeks grew pink when he realised he was staring at her lips. Why did he always seem to be blushing around her?

Her lips pursed. "Aoi-chan?"

"W-What?" He grimaced at the stutter. What was he doing? He was _the_ Aoi-chan, one of the most popular internet fashion idols in Japan! He was cute as hell, and if anyone should be stuttering at this moment it should be this tomboy!

Still, he'd noticed that Tsubasa seemed quite confident and comfortable in and with herself. It would have been annoying if it wasn't kind of attractive. _Wait, what?_ "A-o-i-chan," Tsubasa sang his name, having not moved an inch, with the exception of her hands which were now cupping his cheeks and holding his face in place. "You know what I've noticed?"

"That you're massively annoying?"

She laughed. She hadn't tied her hair back today so it fell forward over her face. "No. I've noticed that you don't call me by my name."

Aoi opened his mouth to refute that, and then realised that huh, she was right. Actually, he didn't think he'd called her much of anything during their time together. His eyes narrowed slightly. "That's not that big of a deal Tsubasa-kun." The suffix slipped out, but Aoi was too proud to take it back, and besides the girl had never seemed put out by it. In fact, at that moment she looked positively ecstatic. He eyed her warily. "Why are you smiling like that, you weirdo?"

"Oh, no reason~" she smiled and rubbed their noses together before he could react. "I think I like hearing you say my name."

Once again, Aoi felt his face grow red, and he slapped repeatedly at her hands while she held them up defensively and laughed. Giggling between apologies, Tsubasa wrapped an arm around his neck and pulled him in for a gentler hug than the previous one. She was ridiculous, he thought to himself, his face pressed into the curve of her neck. Utterly and completely ridiculous, and he wondered what that said about him that he was actually beginning to like her.


	7. Chapter 7

**My Type is You**

If Aoi knew one thing, it was that girls like Tsubasa didn't go for guys like him. Granted he was extrapolating from one point of data and a lot of assumption, but he also knew that a lot of girls normally liked their boyfriends to be taller than they were. Stronger maybe, and definitely less feminine than they were, and since Tsubasa seemed like a much more relaxed version of Misaki, he could only assume that she would end up with someone similar to Usui. He already knew she had a thing for cute blondes.

Though Aoi had gotten used to the tall, blonde man, and no longer disliked him for stealing Misaki's heart, he couldn't deny that as he and Tsubasa entered the café that afternoon, his heart dropped when he spotted Usui in his usual seat staring very obviously at Misaki. The girl was doing her best to ignore him, but his gaze was so obvious and so incredibly loaded that even Aoi could feel her discomfort.

Tsubasa, who had been rambling about wanting to try some new dessert from the menu, trailed off. "Hey, are you okay? You got tense all of a sudden."

"It's nothing. Let's find some seats," he replied quickly, looking away from Usui but Tsubasa had already caught sight of the man. Aoi grimaced as her eyes narrowed, and he wondered how long it would take before she started sighing dreamily about him like every other woman seemed to.

However, Tsubasa's mouth set in a grim line. "Do you know that guy? Is he bothering that waitress?"

"Uh…" Aoi's eyes were wide. That wasn't what he'd been expecting. "Uh, no…at least I don't think so? He likes her I guess, so he comes in here really often to stare at her. Why do you care anyway?"

"Because she looks incredibly uncomfortable and, romantically interested or not, her work environment isn't the place to do this." Something in her eyes flickered, and Aoi was reminded of the day she'd saved Aoi-chan from those thugs. "I'm gonna go talk to her."

"What?!" But she'd already ambled over in Misaki's direction, and Aoi was left flailing at the door. He shot Usui a glance, and winced when he saw the man stiffen at Tsubasa's approach. He should have warned her that Usui was incredibly territorial, and since Tsubasa still looked very much like a guy, he wouldn't take kindly to that.

His eyes jumped back to Misaki and Tsubasa. They were both talking, and Misaki was laughing at something Tsubasa had said. There was a blush staining her cheeks. The boy sat down quietly, frowning slightly. So maybe Tsubasa wasn't into Usui, but maybe she was into Misaki? She had admitted to swinging both ways. Wouldn't it just be his luck, he glared down at the table surface.

"Aoi?" He jerked, surprised by Honoka's appearance, though she'd actually been standing by the table for a while. Vaguely embarrassed, he quickly mumbled out his order and the dessert dish Tsubasa had been so excited to try. Amused, the waitress wrote it all down, and then arched an eyebrow at him. "What's with you? I thought you and Tsubasa-kun were eating together."

"We are," he muttered, scowling at the waitress, but Honoka was not easily fazed. Her eyes darted from Aoi's irritated expression, to Tsubasa and Misaki's animated conversation, and back to Aoi.

Then her lips split into a wide grin. "Oh my, Aoi-kun," she cooed evilly. "Are you jealous?"

Aoi stiffened and whirled around to face at her, spluttering all the way. "Wh- _me?_ _Jealous?_ What do you think you're insinuating you-!" But Honoka had already pranced off, giggling madly all the way and calling back that she'd bring them their orders.

"Aoi?" He flinched again, once again surprised by Tsubasa's reappearance at the table. He hadn't seen her come back until she was standing over him. He felt his cheeks heat up as she brought her face close to his own. "Is everything okay?"

He squeaked and leaned back, almost toppling entirely out of the chair. "D-Don't get so close idiot!"

She laughed. "I guess nothing's wrong if you can insult me," Tsubasa smiled and dropped into the seat opposite his own. "You didn't tell me they were classmates."

"I didn't think you were going to march over and talk to her," he replied, a touch bitterly. "You shouldn't have done that anyway. Usui's pretty possessive over her, and I think he's the strongest person I know. He's even stronger than Misaki, and trust me she's _really_ strong."

"Huh," Tsubasa hummed thoughtfully, and then didn't say anything after that. Their table was silent for a while, not uncomfortably so, but Honoka's words had brought Aoi's bourgeoning crush roaring to the front of his mind. He was suddenly so aware of how tall Tsubasa was, how long her legs were, and how those same legs were so close to his own. He wondered what it would be like to kiss her; he'd have to get up on his tip-toes to do so, or she'd have to lean down. Maybe she'd just pick him up; she was obviously strong enough to do that.

The sound of things being set down jolted him from his thoughts, and he blinked uncomprehendingly at the egg-and-rice dish that had been set in front of him. Tsubasa was staring in awe at the pastel-coloured, blueberry-dotted confection in front of her with unabashed delight. She shoved a spoonful of the cake in her mouth and moaned quietly. "Oh this is so _good_!"

Aoi's face flamed, and he kicked her leg threateningly. "Stop that! You sound so weird! Don't do that in public!"

"Awww, but it tastes really good! Here, have some!" She held up a spoonful of cake, deliberately choosing a piece that was laden with berries. "Look, it even matches your eyes!"

"You think every blue thing matches my eyes," he retorted snappishly, although the sentiment made him blush as always. He blushed a lot around her. Aoi eyed the spoon, wanting to take a bite. It really did look delicious, but wouldn't this be the equivalent of an indirect kiss? Tsubasa didn't seem to care one way or another, and honestly her cheery and relaxed attitude was throwing him. He didn't like not knowing where he stood.

"Correction: I think every _pretty_ blue thing matches your eyes," she grinned cheekily. "Now open wide~!"

The spoon disappeared into his mouth, and that's when he suddenly became aware of how quiet the café had gotten. Literally every woman was staring at them, sparkles in the air and hearts in their eyes, and in the background he could see Misaki trying to calm his aunt down. He groaned and covered his face with his hands. "I think we may have to stop coming here for a while."

"Hmm? Why?"

"Because I think the customers here are going to start expecting this level of fanservice every week."

Tsubasa glanced around, noticing all the eyes that were surreptitiously peeking at them from behind menus and over dishes, and then she shrugged and smiled at Aoi. It was a different smile than he was used to, all lowered eyelids, sharp teeth and heat. It was playful yet intimate, and it made his heart stutter and beat harder against his chest.

"I don't mind, Aoi-kun," she said. "I like hanging out with you. You're one of my favourite people."

And Aoi, having never really been someone's favourite before, wasn't sure what to say, so he quickly snapped something about a stray smear of cream on her face, and went back to his meal, face completely red and something warm and pleased unfurling in his chest.


	8. Chapter 8

**Sick Afternoon**

Aoi was rarely ever sick, so he could be forgiven for not realising that there was something actually wrong until he stumbled and nearly pitched himself over the empty staircase in a dizzy fit. Tsubasa caught him around the waist, holding him steady, her eyes wide with worry. "Hey, Aoi-kun are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" He tried to bat her hands away, but the dizziness seemed to be lurking at the edge of his consciousness, and every time he moved too quickly colours exploded painfully behind his eyes. He gave a weak shove and then winced. "I'm fine!" He repeated a touch less firmly this time. "Stop making such a fuss! People are looking."

Tsubasa frowned down at him. "You don't look fine to me," she argued, though she lowered her voice a bit so what she said couldn't be overheard. "You nearly fell down the stairs! Aoi…" He couldn't stop her as she raised her hand and placed it on his forehead. Tsubasa gasped. "You're burning up! You need to get to the nurse!"

Aoi frowned, but the act of furrowing his brows made his head hurt even more. He wanted to argue just on principle, but the thought exhausted him. Maybe he should go to the sickbay, just for a little while at least. It would get Tsubasa off his case anyway. Honestly, she was such a worrywart. "Fine," he muttered, "I'll go to the nurse."

She grinned, pleased that he was taking her advice. "I'll walk you."

"That isn't necessary," he replied quickly.

"Unfortunately, it's happening anyway!" She replied just as smartly. The two walked to the sickbay, though Aoi's symptoms increased with every step that soon it Tsubasa was the only one doing any actual walking. She paused for a moment, and Aoi gasped when in the next second she scooped him up, cradling him gently in her arms.

He immediately went tense all over. "What are you doing? Put me down!"

"Shhh," Tsubasa smiled down at him. He looked so cute like this, all pink-cheeked and helpless. It sucked that part of the flush was his fever, but he was still pretty anyway. Walking much faster now, she reached the sickbay in record time and pushed the door open, calling out a curious, "Nurse?"

The nurse was not in, on account of it being lunchtime and so she'd skipped out to buy something to eat. Tsubasa looked around for a second, before carrying Aoi over to one of the beds. She set him down on the little cot, and drew the mint green curtains shut behind her, hiding them from the rest of the world. Tsubasa bit her lip worriedly as she took in Aoi's condition. It didn't look serious at least, but he definitely needed medicine and a nap.

"I'm going to look for some painkillers," she told him gently.

Aoi glared at her out of narrowed eyes. It was taking a lot of strength to keep his eyes open. "You'll get in trouble for looking through the nurse's medication."

"I'm sure she has cold medicine and paracetamol _somewhere_. Everyone knows how to dose themselves with that. Just relax, okay?" She grinned at him and Aoi blamed his sickness for why he was so dazzled by her smile.

The cold medicine was on one of the shelves, right next to a jar of cod liver oil which Tsubasa shuddered and gagged at. She could remember her mother pinning her down and forcing a spoonful of the stuff down her throat, to be soothed with ice cream sandwiches as long as she didn't bring it back up again.

She pushed aside the curtains. "I found the cold medicine but no painkillers. You have to take two spoonfuls."

Aoi huffed and struggled to push himself up, grumbling but not fighting when Tsubasa's arms wrapped around his shoulders to help. "I know how to take cold medicine, jeez." It tasted sickly and gross, like artificial orange flavour. Aoi made a face and pushed the spoon back at Tsubasa. "There, I've taken the medicine. Now let me sleep." Then he flopped down and rolled over so his back was to her.

Tsubasa smiled down at him affectionately, taking in the fading pink blush and the pout on his lips. "Sleep well, Aoi-kun."

* * *

Tsubasa was bored. Without Aoi to stare at during classes she really had nothing else to do except stare at the schoolyard through the window. Well, she supposed she _could_ listen to the teacher as he tried to engage them in the grammatical nuances of the English language but honestly that wasn't nearly as interesting.

She glanced at Aoi's empty seat and pictured him sitting there. His eyes would be half-lowered not with fever, but with boredom. His soft cheeks would be cradled in his palms, and sometimes his lips would be pursed around a colourful pencil, turning them pinker.

God Aoi was so _cute_. Tsubasa didn't hold much stake in gender roles but she'd never met a guy that cute before. She wanted to go out with him, maybe they could visit the zoo? She'd heard that a baby lion cub had been born there recently.

"Yamaguchi-san!"

She startled – had class ended already? – and looked up at the girl standing by her desk. She sat near the front and was one of the more studious students, with long brown hair in two braids that hung over her shoulders and brown eyes behind pink oval glasses.

Tsubasa straightened. "Hm? Yeah?"

The girl stuttered, her cheeks bright red. "I-I was wondering, since you're good at English and all, I was hoping you could help me. I didn't understand most of what the teacher said."

"Oh," Tsubasa cocked her head with a smile. "Yeah, okay. That sounds fine."

"Really?" She looked ecstatic and why was her face so red? "Then, can we-?"

"Ah, I can't right now," Tsubasa stood up, stretching her arms over her head. "I have to go check up on Aoi-kun. I'll see you later though, won't I?"

"O-Of course!" The girl – Tsubasa really needed to learn her name soon this was just awkward – nodded too quickly to be considered casual. Tsubasa shot her a bemused grin, and happily loped out of the classroom, making a beeline towards the nurse's office.

Aoi hated taking cold medicine because they put him to sleep pretty quickly and his dreams were always haunted by the strangest things. He'd just awoken from a dream in which he'd been a vampire hunter chasing after Tsubasa (who must have been the vampire in that scenario because he couldn't fathom why else he'd be chasing after someone as annoying as her) and his mouth tasted disgustingly acidic.

The pale green curtains kept the light out, which was a relief even though his head no longer hurt as much. With a sigh, Aoi rolled over and found himself face to face with Tsubasa. "Did you sleep well?"

" _Ah!_ " He sat up too quickly and was suddenly struck by a wave of vertigo. "Ouch!"

"You need to be careful with yourself," Tsubasa said gently. She touched his cheek and Aoi pulled back, blushing hard and this time he couldn't even blame it on the fever.

"Stop touching me so casually!" He barked at her, feeling annoyed when she just laughed.

"I'm glad you're feeling better. You must be if you can insult me," she dropped her arm and took his hand instead, lacing their fingers together. For some reason Aoi allowed it even though he hated how warm her hands were, how much longer her fingers were. The nail polish was nearly gone, she needed to repaint it. He wondered what colour she'd use. Pink? Green?

He glanced up at her and realised that she was smiling at him with a stupid expression on her face. Surprised and feeling utterly confused and wrong-footed, he scowled and tried to pull his hand back. "What's with that dumb expression? What are you looking at?"

Tsubasa laughed. "I'm looking at you." _I think I'll always be looking at you._

 **This was going to be miles more romantic but life has a way of kicking u in the butt.**


	9. Chapter 9

**We know literally nothing about Aoi's parents except that his dad routinely tosses out his clothes and kicks him out as well.**

 **Rogue In Shining Armour**

Whatever virus had chosen to attack had left just as quickly as it had come, and by Friday afternoon Aoi was feeling perfectly fine and making plans for his weekend photo-shoot. Normally he didn't schedule shoots so close together, but the school term was coming to a close in a month and he wanted to do a swimsuit spread. He had never done one before, mostly because buying cute frilly swimsuits was very difficult.

Aoi briefly stopped eating breakfast to thank the heavens that his body seemed to have developed in a fairly androgynous manner. At fifteen, most of his male classmates had begun to put on inches and hard muscle, but he was still small and soft. He liked his body just the way it was. So did Tsubasa for that matter...

"What's got your face all red?" His mother's amused voice jerked him out of his thoughts and Aoi clapped a hand over his bright pink cheek.

"Nothing!" He squeaked which only made her dark blue eyes narrow more determinedly.

"It doesn't look like nothing," she stated with a growing grin. "Why, it almost looks like you're in love! Honey, doesn't it look like he's in love?"

Aoi winced, refusing to look at his father sitting at the opposite end of the table. He knew he was a disappointment to the other man, something made even worse by the fact that he was an only child. Aoi's father was a large man, tall and brusque and so stereotypically masculine that it was almost scary. He treated the fact that he had a son who enjoyed dressing up in traditionally feminine clothes as some sort of curse, one he could cure by burning all traces of it away or getting rid of the source. Aoi had been kicked out of the house or come home to find his sowing kits and dressmaking materials tossed in the trash so often that he had lost count.

There was a grunt from behind the newspaper. "It's not a boy, is it?" His father asked with a tone that promised an unfavourable outcome if it was.

Aoi winced. "It's not a boy!" He replied as emphatically as he could. "And I'm not in love with anyone! There's just this girl-"

"Girl?" The newspaper came down for the first time since breakfast had started and his father pinned him with an inquiring stare. "It's a girl? What's she like?"

"...yes?" Aoi thought about Tsubasa's casual approach to gender and gender roles. "Her name is Yamaguchi Tsubasa and she's new in class. She's..." _tall, brash, bisexual, attractive in a way that's been empirically proven to be my type_ "...nice."

His father arched an eyebrow speculatively. "Just 'nice'?" He repeated dubiously.

Luckily his mother came to his rescue and swatted his father's shoulder. "Honey don't interrogate him!" She scolded and then she glanced up at the clock on the kitchen wall and gasped. "Oh, you'll be late! Hurry and finish your breakfast!"

Aoi shovelled the cold remains of his porridge into his mouth and dashed out of the kitchen as quickly as possible. He grabbed his schoolbag on the way and stood outside the door, hopping on one foot as he struggled to put on his shoes as quickly as possible before either of his parents could catch up with him.

Unfortunately he wasn't fast enough. "Aoi?" His mother's voice called to him hesitantly. Aoi heaved a quiet sigh to himself. "You know, liking someone isn't a bad thing. It's perfectly healthy for a boy your age to be looking at girls-"

Oh god, if she started to have The Talk with him right now he was flinging himself in front of the nearest moving vehicle. "Yes mom, I get it, no need to walk me through it!" Aoi quickly interrupted her. "Besides Tsubasa-kun is just a friend! I'm going now! Bye mom!"

He ran out of the house, and didn't see his mother echoing the word _kun_ with a quizzical look on her face.

* * *

oOo

* * *

" _A-o-i-chan~_ "

Aoi resisted the immediate and near involuntary urge to shiver when he Tsubasa's breath against his ear. She had been eating a slice of cheesecake and she smelled like citrus and spun sugar. He fixed a scowl on his face and turned to face her. "What?"

As always she was undaunted and instead beamed at him like a pet that had received attention from a beloved owner. Huh, and there was a weird kink he didn't know he had, although Tsubasa didn't seem like the submissive type. No, she would be gentle and sweet and oh god where was he going with this. He shook his head rapidly to dislodge the thoughts.

"Aoi?"

"What?" He blinked at her. "What did you say?"

Smiling bemusedly, she gestured to his drink. "You haven't had any of your milkshake, Aoi-chan. You need to eat something."

"Don't call me _chan_!" He snapped. Then he shoved a spoonful of the slowly melting shake into his mouth. The combination of sugar and chocolate made milkshakes and sundaes a rare treat and he wasn't about to let it fall apart just because he was lost in thought.

"Aw," she pouted. "But I want to call you something sweet! To match this," she reached out and brushed a strand of his hair behind his ear. Her fingers bumped into something and Aoi realised that he was wearing the clip she had given him. It had come loose over the day.

His face went pink and he swatted her hand away with growl. "Don't touch me so casually!" He snapped. After he was done straightening the clip he looked up and found Tsubasa staring at him with one of those stupidly, openly fond smiles. "What?" He said for the fourth time.

"Nothing," she chirped. "I just like looking at you."

Aoi felt his face grow so hot that he was surprised he didn't immediately start steaming. To his increasing horror, several of the customers sitting close by began cooing and squealing. Unable to deal with the emotions roiling in his chest, Aoi got to his feet.

Tsubasa straightened up as well, concerned now. "Aoi? Hey, Aoi!"

He stormed out of the cafe as quickly as he could, the bell clanging after him. Tsubasa stood up and hurried after him, but before she left she turned to glare at the cafe patrons.

"I don't know if you've never seen a same sex couple before," she stated in a calm but loud voice, "but you do not get to treat us like we're some kind of in-house entertainment. Our relationships are not a kink so please afford us some basic respect and privacy."

That said, she ran out of the building and raced after Aoi. Luckily she managed to catch up to him before he got too far.

"Aoi!" She caught his arm and turned him around to face her. "Aoi, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he snatched his arm away and scowled at the ground. "Why the hell do you care anyway?"

Tsubasa cocked her head to the side. "Well, I like you for one thing," she said.

" _How_ do you like me?" He looked up at her. His face was still a little bit pink and Tsubasa thought he was the prettiest thing at that moment.

She blinked rapidly and coughed. "Well..." she rubbed the back of her head, "I like you as a friend and as a boyfriend. I think you're so cute it's almost ridiculous. Even when you yell at me I still want to hug you! You're the perfect height you know? I just want to pick you up and pin you against walls-"

"Okay, okay, I get it _shut up!_ " Aoi screeched, his arms waving up and down. "You have no filter!"

"I do," she smiled and shrugged. "I just prefer to be open with my feelings! And I really," she took a step forward, "really," another step and Aoi felt his back bump against the building behind him, " _really_ like you, Aoi. Is that okay?"

Her voice was low, not quite husky but there was something warm and smoky swirling between the words. Aoi looked away and shrugged. "Yeah, whatever," he muttered. "Do what you want."

"Sweet," she leaned away with a grin on her face. "Can we hold hands to the bus?"

" _No!_ "

 **Aoi Blushes should be the name of this chapter lmao.**

 **The part where Tsubasa talks to the cafe customers, it's just something I wish I could do? I've seen gay couples in restaurants and sometimes you get those girls who start cooing loudly or asking them to kiss because they thing being gay is so cute. It's very disconcerting. Don't do that yo.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Megumi-chan**

Tsubasa had been weirdly chipper ever since Aoi had told her that she was free to like him as much as she wanted. Now if that didn't sound like much that's because it _wasn't_. However with the way Tsubasa grinned at him every time their eyes met in class you'd think he'd accepted a marriage proposal.

It wasn't like he _minded_. Maybe it was a little narcissistic but he liked being desired. It was one of the reasons he modelled after all, that and the cute outfits. Tsubasa's clear and obvious appreciation was an ego boost and what was the harm in basking in that?

The bell rang out the end of the school day and there was the typical screech of tables and chairs, the flurry of papers and bags being picked up as students hurried out of class, the clamour of voices as teenagers made their way home or to the sport's field. There was supposed to be an inter-school basketball practice later in the day, nothing official but just an excuse for two schools to meet and establish some sort of dominance.

Aoi stretched and turned his head, expecting to see Tsubasa loping over to him with an invitation to go eat somewhere. There was no way he was staying to watch a bunch of sweaty guys chase a ball when he could be doing literally anything else. So lunch; where though? Probably not Café Latté though, Aoi didn't plan to show his face there for a month, so somewhere else. Whatever, Tsubasa would have an idea.

So Aoi turned his head but instead of coming face to face with Tsubasa's stupid freckles, he spotted the girl talking to another girl.

Aoi blamed the weird lurch in his stomach on his lunch and narrowed his eyes at the girl. She was short, maybe his height or a centimetre taller, and usually sat near the front. Her uniform was plain with a buttoned up blazer, a below the knee skirt, and without a shred of customization. For that matter, so was she.

Aoi scoffed and mollified himself with the thought that, wig or not, he was miles cuter than that nerd. Deciding that he was done waiting for Tsubasa's attention, Aoi got to his feet, making sure his chair scraped the ground pointedly.

Tsubasa's eyes darted over to him and she grinned. "Aoi! Are you leaving? I thought we were getting lunch together?"

"You looked busy," he tried not to sound petulant or huffy but he wasn't sure how well he did at that. He nodded curtly at the girl. "Megumi-chan."

"Aoi-kun," she nodded back. Her fingers twisted and fiddled with her skirt as she peered at the slouching Tsubasa through her lashes. Her brown eyes were huge behind her glasses, giving her a helpless, Bambi-eyed expression. Aoi knew that expression; he'd practiced it countless times in front of the mirror. Did Tsubasa like that? Aoi's eyes were blue and he could look doe-eyed if he wanted to. Maybe Tsubasa liked shy girls? Aoi had faked a shy persona before _and why did he care?!_

While he'd been locked in this swirling vortex of thoughts, Tsubasa had been staring at him and wondering what exactly was going through his mind that had his brow so furrowed. She lifted her finger and poked him in the forehead. "Hey, Aoi!"

"Huh? What?" He jerked back to attention.

Megumi gave him a small but genuine smile that might have made him like her at least a little if his brain hadn't already slammed the word RIVAL on her is blocky letters without his permission. "Tsubasa-kun is going to be in the practice game later," she told him, "I was wondering if you were coming too."

"I-" _I would literally rather be doing anything else_ was what Aoi would have said but then he realised two things.

One, Tsubasa hadn't told him about being in the basketball club. This wasn't a big deal but Aoi felt stupidly hurt that she hadn't shared this with him. Maybe she wasn't all that open with him.

Two, if Aoi didn't go to this sporting event, Tsubasa would be alone with Megumi, a girl who clearly had a crush on his source of attention.

"I didn't think girls were participating in the practice," he answered instead, wincing at how awkward that had sounded.

Tsubasa shrugged. "The girls' basketball team's on a break while the coach is in the hospital. The boy's team has some weird rivalry going on with some other school and they wanted me to play for some reason."

"Don't they know you're a girl?" Aoi stressed the word, eying Megumi all the while. Her expression didn't change. In fact she looked quite curious to hear the answer.

"I guess I look masculine enough to pass. Besides, I like basketball!" Tsubasa mimed tossing a ball in a move so dorky that had to Aoi roll his eyes. He then gritted his teeth when Megumi giggled. "I used to play basketball at my old school but I didn't join the basketball club here since I wanted to try something new."

That at least cleared up something and made Aoi feel slightly better. He folded his arms across his chest and huffed. "I guess I could come. Just to see what all the fuss is about anyway."

Tsubasa blinked up at him in surprise and then she beamed at him. "Great! The three of us can go together!"

Aoi glanced at Megumi and she stared back at him. For a minute she looked disappointed and then she seemed to steel herself and she smiled at Tsubasa. "I'd like that Tsubasa-kun!" Then she flushed pink behind her spectacles when Tsubasa turned that blindingly affectionate smile on her. Aoi felt like someone was very gently but very insistently squeezing his internal organs.

"Yeah, I guess we'll all sit together," he muttered.

"Nice!" Tsubasa got up and stretched. "Well I should head to the gym. I'll see you both later, right?"

"G-Good luck Tsubasa-kun!" Megumi called after her. Tsubasa tossed a two-fingered salute and winked and then she was gone. Aoi watched Megumi place her hands to her cheeks which were bright pink.

He scoffed at her. "You're so obvious."

"Am I?" She jumped and her eyes widened with worry. "Oh gosh, do you think she could tell? I thought I was being subtle..."

Aoi looked at Megumi critically. According to 90% of all romantic media ever created, nerdy girls liked bad boys. While Tsubasa was neither a boy nor was she misunderstood and brooding, her scruffy hair, pierced ears, and the slightly sloppy state of her uniform gave her a relaxed, rebellious air.

So if Megumi was the nerd and Tsubasa was the bad boy, then what was he? The bitchy It Girl? Oh god no, they never got happy endings! Not that he wanted a happy end with Tsubasa.

At this point Aoi was aware that he was sitting in a well of denial and he could either dig deep and completely commit to this or he could swim to the surface and accept that he had a massive crush and Tsubasa and was jealous that Megumi would swoop in with her Bambi eyes and steal her from him.

Hey look, he'd tackled his emotions without lashing out at anyone! Ew.

"You're not creeped out are you Aoi-kun?"

He startled, again, and blinked at Megumi. She watched him, nervously toeing the ground. "Creeped out about what?" He asked.

Megumi's fingers gripped her skirt so tightly that Aoi wondered if the fabric would rip. "That I like Tsubasa even though we're both girls?"

"Oh." Aoi said, a little blankly. "No I don't care."

Megumi relaxed like she'd been holding her breath for a long time. "That's good! Because I really like Tsubasa and I know you're good friends with her! I was hoping we could be friends too!"

Aoi stared after Megumi's retreating figure and then put a hand to his chest. God emotions were exhausting.

* * *

 **Me: I hate love triangles, they are contrived and boring and serve nothing but to facilitate and satisfy an author's wish** **fulfillment**

 **Me: *adds a love triangle***

 **To be fair, I can tell you right off the bat that this fic is purely Aoi x Tsubasa, I just wanted to throw in a lesbian character and also Megumi is a cutie-pie I was playing around on one of those online dress up games and basically created a bespectacled sweetheart.**

 **Look, in anime most times LGBT+ people exist to be fetishized or feared by straight people. You get lesbians who can't stop grabbing other women's breasts, gay men who flirt with every dude whether they like it or not, and the bisexual who runs around fucking everything in sight. So here, have some realistic queerness. Will I always add lectures at the end of my chapters? Maybe who knows thank you for coming to my TedTalk.**


	11. Chapter 11

**No Need To Be Jealous**

Aoi shivered and tugged the sleeves of his jumper further over his fingers. It hadn't been this cold when he'd left home but the wind had picked up and stung his cheeks and nose. Sniffing, he stared at the lit up school field with a grimace. Aside from a few collapsible drink stands and food kiosks there were less people out there than he'd expected, although he didn't have much to compare it to as he made it a point to avoid sports and all sport-related events. This was partly because he hated most physical activities except volleyball, but primarily because the students who liked to make fun of him tended to be there.

"Aoi-kun!"

It seemed he'd arrived earlier than Megumi, something that Aoi noted with a weird sense of triumph. She stopped in front of him, a hand resting delicately on her chest as she caught her breath and Aoi took in her outfit. He didn't know her that well so he couldn't be sure what her style was like outside of the school but it looked like she'd put some effort into her clothes. The pink puffy jacket paired well with a white jumper and blue jeans. Perched on her head, as if to incense him even more, was a white slouchy beanie with a cat face sewn on.

It was simple, innocent, _cute_.

In his plain blue jumper and dark-wash jeans and despite the setting, Aoi couldn't help feeling underdressed which was utterly unacceptable. Aoi was suddenly struck with the urge to say something incredibly cutting, just so they could be on even footing emotionally, however this action was interrupted by a cheerful voice calling out to them.

"Aoi-kun! Megumi-chan! You came!" Tsubasa ran over to them. She was wearing the school basketball uniform, one that probably didn't belong to her since she hadn't been around long enough to get one. Over that she wore a stereotypical jock jacket with her initials emblazoned on the front in blocky letters.

Out of the corner of his eye Aoi could see Megumi's face grow pink. "H-Hello Tsubasa-kun! How are you feeling?"

"Excited and a little nervous," she shrugged and pulled a face. "It's not like this is a serious game, but winner gets bragging rights which is almost as good as a trophy. I like your hat by the way! It's adorable!"

If Megumi's face hadn't been red before it definitely was now. "Oh, you really think so?"

"Yep!" Tsubasa replied with a bright smile. "It really suits you! Don't you think so Aoi-kun?"

With his arms folded tightly across his chest for warmth, Aoi narrowed his eyes and huffed, "...it's fine or whatever. When does this stupid game start anyway?"

Tsubasa resisted the urge to grin like a loon. He was so cute when he pouted like that though she wasn't sure why he was pouting. Was something wrong?

Jealousy was a terrible emotion and as someone who had already experienced this particular brand once, Aoi planned to one day find a way to delete that part of his psyche. Engrossed in his own thoughts, Aoi squeaked in surprise when Tsubasa was suddenly right in his face. This close he could smell the citrusy-sweet scent of her shampoo. Her eyes were so dark and focused and Aoi didn't know how to deal with being the object of that focus. "What the hell are you staring at?" He finally snapped.

Tsubasa cocked her head, her eyes never leaving him. "Aoi-kun, are you cold?"

 _What?_ "Um...yes, I guess I am?" Aoi replied quizzically. He glanced at Megumi, wondering if she'd caught their exchange.

"Then here!" Tsubasa shrugged her jacket off and in one smooth motion, swept it over his shoulders. "Is that better?"

The inside of the letterman was warm and soft. Here the scent of citrus was more concentrated and mixed with the smell of something more human. Although Aoi was aware that Tsubasa was much taller than he was, he hadn't quite let it sink in until this moment. The jacket hung down to his thighs and almost completely covered his hands. Aoi could feel his heart beginning to beat way out of control. This was bad.

Then he heard Tsubasa laugh. "Hey, you look great in my jacket! I'm almost tempted to give it to you!"

"D-Don't be ridiculous!" He barked at her, fiddling with the too-long sleeves. "It's obviously too big! You're way too tall! And why the hell are you giving this to me?! Girls aren't supposed to do that! It's not attractive!"

Tsubasa tilted her head to the side. "It's not?" She asked in that stupidly low voice and then she turned to the other girl. "Megumi-chan, what do you think?"

With the flustered motions of someone who hadn't expected to be addressed, Megumi clapped her hands to her cheeks. "I-I-oh-um! I think it's very attractive Tsubasa-kun!"

"Yeah well, you're a girl," Aoi scowled and rolled up the sleeves. Dammit the whole jacket felt like the most intimate hug he'd ever received and it made him wonder what it would be like to cuddle with her for real.

Tsubasa watched him do this with a smirk. Even though he complained a lot, she knew he still appreciated the affectionate gesture. She leaned closer and tapped her cheek. "Could I get a kiss for good luck?"

" _As if!_ "

Suddenly a loud whistle pierced the ear, causing all three of them to jump and Tsubasa cursed. "I have to go! Sit where I can see you guys, okay? Bye!"

"Good luck Tsubasa-kun!" Megumi yelled after her. The bespectacled girl watched the object of her affections run back to the field and then turned to the grumbling boy standing next to her, draped in Tsubasa's personal jacket. The image was almost comical though a little disheartening. She poked his shoulder, jolting him out of his thoughts. "Aoi-kun, let's find somewhere to sit."

* * *

 **Short chapter but hey, no lecture! Just cute fluff all round. Next up: an evening date and maybe more?**


End file.
